Self-serving device



F. B. SPROSS SELF SERVING DEVICE Jan. 8 1924. 1,479,878 7 Filed Jan. 24. 1923 IN V EN TOR. FYEdEHCk B. fipross ATTO NEYI Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED LST'ATES PATENT OFFICE.

SELF-SERVING DEVICE.

Application filed. January 24, 1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the Jnited States, residing at Bergen in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Serving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a self serving device that is adapted to be placed on a table sothat all of the eatables and dishes placed thereon can be reached by any person desiring it without the help of his neighbor.

These and other objects of this invention will be fully illustrated in the drawing, de scribed in the specification and pointed out in the claim at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawing;

Figure 1 illustrates the self serving device as it will appear when placed on a'table, the

table cover supported by the device being partly unfolded to cover a portion of the table.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the self serving device, the section being taken on the line 2 X of Figure 1 looking at it in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the table cover support of the device.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the central portion of the support of the self serving device, the section being taken. on the line 4 -4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the central portion of the table cover support of the device;

In the several figures of the drawing like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The self serving device forming the subject matter of my present invention is intended to be used on a dining table and with it all of the persons sitting at the table are able to serve themselves with all of the eatables placed on the device without the help of others. 7

As illustrated in the figures of the drawing this is accomplished by means of a turntable 1. This turn table has a central hub 2 in the form of a sleeve mounted cen-- trally on the under side thereof. The hub in turn is mounted to rotate on a central standard or pivot member 3 su ported by the base 4. This base is formed y a socket that is'supported by a series of four legs 5, 5 which help togive the device a firm and bers 8, 8.

Serial No. 614,562.

stable support for the turntable 1 to rotate thereon. Formed on the free ends of the hub 2 and the hub 4 are suitable ball races between which a series of balls 6, 6 are placed to form a ball bearing between the turntable and its stationary support on which the turntable can easily rotate. Braces 7 7 are mounted to the end of the hub 2 and extend radially from it to the under side of the turntable to increase the supporting strength thereof.

Mounted on the under side of the turntable is a series of four radial extension mem- These extension members are adapted to slide in and out between the guides 9 9 and serve to support an extension ring 10. 'By addingthis ring to the turntable the area thereof is materially increased. The ring is therefore, used when it is necessary to place more dishes on the turntable than can be accommodated by the turntable without this extension. Four seg: mental strip-s11, 11 are fastened to the under side of the extensionring 10 and the extension members 8, 8 are adapted to project between the spaces of these segmental strips. Suitable shoulders are thus formed on either side of the extension members 8 so that when the extension ring is taken hold of and turned the turntable 1 is turned with it.

The central standard or pivot member 3 is extended by the hollow tubing 3 that projects through the center of the turntable and has" the arms 12, 12 pivoted on the upper end thereof. For this purpose the upper end of the hollow tubing is split into four sections that are bent outwardly to form supports for the supporting plate 13. The supporting plate 13 is fastened to the outwardly bent flanges of the standard 3 by means of the rivets 14. These rivets pass through the plate 13 into the out turned flanges and are then bent up in a loop around a ring 15 and back against the supporting plate. In this way the supporting plate 13, the end of the standard 3 and the ring 15 are clamped together with each of the rivets 14.

The supporting plate 13 is perforated between the out turned flanges of the standard 3 so that one of the arms 12 can pass through each of the openings provided therein. These arms are mounted to swing on the ring 15 and for this purpose each of the arms has an eye 16 formed on the end thereof through which thering is adapted to project to form a pivot" for the Each of the arms 12 has a brace 17 fastoned thereto. This brace normally rests on top of the supporting plate 13 as illustrated in Figure 3 and holds the arm 12 in a vertical position. WVhen it is desired to make the arms 12* sir-tend horizontally over the self serving device and over the table the free ends of the bra'oe's 17 are piilledflaway from the supporting plateso that thearlns'oan drop down into the horizontal position illustrated at the right in Figure" 1. In thislatter position the arms 12 project over the tableand are adapted to support a suitable table cover 18' over the" self serving device, and the table surrounding it to'pre'vent flies or dust from getting tothefood placed on'tlie seli serving device. *Whenthe self serving device is in use pearance} V The self serving deviceisto be placed on a'tabl'e or portionofa table where a; number of personaare beingseijved; All of the eatablese'xceptthe individual dishes can then be placed on the turntable of the device and each-person in turncan rotate the turntable until the particular dish Wantedis opposite him Within eacy reach tl'iatill enable the person to help himself Without assistance from his neighbors.

In a self serving device, the combination of a base, a standard supported by said base, a turntable mounted to rotate on said standard, a" thrust bearing interposed between said turntable and said base, extension members mounted to slide radially oiltheunder side or said turntable, an extension ring adapted to rest on said extension members, shoulders formed on the underside of said extension nag, said ex tension member being adapted to engage between said shoulders, a supporting plat form mounted on the upper end of said standard, a Series of radial arms mounted to ,swing onsaid platform, a brace for each:

of said arms, said braces being adapted to rest on top of said platform to hold said arms ina vertical position, said braces-also being adapted to-be disengaged from said platform to allow said arms to rest on said platform in a horizontal position, a table cover adapted tobesupported.bysaid arms; In testimony whereof I aflix my signatare FREDERICK VB. sPRoss. 

